US plans to tighten entry rules for citizens of 43 countries, including Russia and Belarus - NYT

The draft list of recommendations, developed by diplomats and security service officials, includes three categories for countries: red, orange, and yellow.

The "red" list includes 11 countries whose citizens will be strictly banned from entering the US. According to officials, the list includes: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.

Sources from the NYT also warned that the list was compiled by the US State Department several weeks ago, and by the time it reaches the White House, changes will most likely be made.

The proposal also includes an "orange" list of 10 countries, where travel will be restricted but not banned outright. In these cases, entry may be allowed for wealthy business travelers, but not for those traveling on immigration or tourist visas. Moreover, citizens from this list will be subjected to mandatory in-person visa interviews. The countries included on this list are: Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan.

The proposal also includes a draft "yellow" list of 22 countries, which will be given 60 days to address identified deficiencies, with the threat of being moved to one of the other lists if the requirements are not met.

These issues may include failure to provide the US with information about arriving travelers, inadequate security measures during passport issuance, or the sale of citizenship to individuals from prohibited countries, which could serve as a loophole to bypass the restrictions.

According to officials, the "yellow" list includes: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe.

As the NYT reports, after taking office, Trump gave the State Department 60 days to complete a report for the White House with this list, meaning it is expected to be ready by next week. The Bureau of Consular Affairs at the State Department has taken the lead on this, with instructions stating that the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, as well as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, should assist in the matter.

The Times and other news agencies reported this month that Afghanistan, which was not included in the travel ban list during Trump's first term but came under Taliban control following the US military withdrawal in 2021, is likely to be included in the ban during a second term. However, some other countries on this list remain unclear.

It is also unknown whether the restrictions will apply to holders of current visas or if those visas will be revoked. It remains unclear whether current green card holders, who have already obtained the right to legally reside permanently, will be exempt from the ban.